Arhi SS : Khamoshiyan [ Completed ] - Page 68

Part 11

Arnav steered his SUV through the busy streets of Delhi. It was evening time, and the office traffic was causing delays. He had been very anxious the whole day, hoping Khushi would like his surprises. There was no point in denying that, he had really thought she would like them. Her outburst at his gifts though, had taken him by complete surprise. He had realized yet again, the intensity of the pain caused by his past deeds. He had unknowingly demeaned her, when all he had actually wanted to do was to pull her into his arms. His anger had ruined his life, and hers. His past had darkened his present, whereas his future remained bleak. He glanced over at Khushi, who seemed to have slipped into a comfortable silence after getting into the car. However, he alone knew the turbulent emotions that swirled under her calm facade.

This was his last opportunity to at least make Khushi see, his sincerity and commitment to her, by revealing his story. If she would only give him one chance to make it up to her... he would gladly do anything and everything in his power and more, to win her back. It was not possible to live without her, and that, he was absolutely sure of. Arnav had decided that if she left Shantivan at the end of six months, so would he. If it indeed came to that, he would follow her wherever she went. Though, he was trying not to think of that extreme possibility yet. There was still time, and he would keep trying till the last moment. Her soft voice got him back to the present. She had whispered almost inaudibly, but his mind was too finely attuned to her to have missed it.

"Where are we going Arnavji?" she asked. Arnavji? He wondered at how she could still give him that respect. She still called him ji'... but then, that was his Khushi. He had fallen in love with her, all of her... her crazy antics, her quirkiness, her madness, her innocence and her beauty... inner as well as outer. He realized that she was waiting for an answer, and all he managed to say was, "We will be there in ten minutes." This was going to be an emotional time for him as well. He had to face the demons of his past, if he wished to move ahead in life with Khushi. She deserved everything that he had to give her. All the happiness in the world, and he would ensure that no sadness would touch her life. Any sadness, he would keep for himself. He had given enough of it to her, in the last few months.

He noticed Khushi looking around anxiously, while he turned into a more secluded road, that almost seemed to be leading them away from civilization. She looked so beautiful. She had no idea how much she affected him. He had possibly seen the most gorgeous women in the world, and many of them had made advances towards him too. Yet, only one woman had ever been able to capture his heart... that was her...Khushi. How could he ever let her go? His mind continued to fight a battle... on one side, he was anxious, scared and unsure of what was going to happen and on the other hand, he felt love, confidence and a small hope that he really could pave his way to her heart.

The car came to a halt and he looked at her. She was looking out of the window trying to see where they were. He unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned in a little towards her, catching her off-guard. He could see her breath hitch and he smiled at her, as she unlocked the door to quickly scamper out. He walked towards the entrance of a vast garden. Opening the small gate, he indicated to her that she should go in. He noticed the smile on Khushi's face, when she looked around the beautiful garden. As she walked amidst the plants and flowers, she looked like a colourful butterfly flitting around. He could not help a small smile, from making its way to his face, for a few seconds. Reality quickly struck him though.

He spoke somberly, "Khushi..." She swiftly looked at him, her eyes still twinkling with the excitement of being amidst so many plants. He ignored the urge to hug her tight, turned away from her and continued, "Khushi, this is my Mother's garden. When I was a kid, Maa would bring me here almost every day. We used to spend hours taking care of these plants. It was through her, that I found my interest in growing and nurturing them. Both of us found peace and solace in them... and I still do. Every time I tend to the garden at Shantivan, it makes me feel close to my mother. She was the only source of hope and happiness in my life. When she committed suicide because of my father's betrayal, my whole world shattered. She was cheated by the man she had loved whole-heartedly, and that is why, I started hating the idea of love itself." He turned to face her, and was stunned to see the tears in her eyes. He rushed towards her and held her by her arms. She looked up at him and asked, "Why are you telling me all this, Arnavji? Why have you brought me here... today?" He could not stop himself from wiping away her tears. He could never see her sorrow...could never see her crying...

"Khushi, please don't cry. Today is not about crying over the past. I have brought you here for a special reason." He saw her trying to gain a little composure, as he continued, "I wanted you to meet Maa, Khushi. You believe in your Devi Maiyaa, right? And you visit a temple to pay your respects. Likewise, this is my temple, Khushi. This is the most sacred place on earth for me. I can feel my mother's presence around here, in every plant, in every leaf, in every flower...and I wanted her to meet you too. I wanted to introduce her daughter-in-law, the woman who owns her son's heart." He walked towards her and held her hand saying, "I want to apologize to you in front of my Maa, for all my misdeeds, Khushi. If she would have been alive, I am sure that she would have reprimanded me severely for every horrible deed, every cruel word. I wanted to apologize to both of you...to the two women, who have always filled my life with happiness and a sense of calm. I love you, Khushi... I love you with my heart and soul. If you could just give me one chance to prove... just... one chance... please..." By now, tears were flowing freely from both their eyes.

She pulled her hand away, and Arnav felt bereft at the loss of her touch. Was she refusing him that one chance? A cold dread started spreading over him, inspite of it being a very warm summer evening. His mind started panicking and he did not know what to do anymore. He took in a few quick breaths to calm himself; trying to control the sobs that even now clogged his throat...he was on the brink of breaking down... After a few minutes of a cold, dreadful silence, he spoke again, "Khushi, remember the kangans that I had given to you after our wedding? My mother's kangans?" He paused to look at her face. He saw a hint of recollection flit across her face, as she tried to remember that moment. He removed those kangans from his pocket and held them out to her. She tenderly picked them up from his hands, and he continued "I had given these to you half-heartedly then, not realizing that they had always been meant for you. They were meant to be given, to my mother's daughter-in-law, her chotte's wife. It's on your wrists that they truly belong. But that is not all Khushi... along with the kangans, there is something more for you, especially for you."

He quietly pulled out a small folded piece of paper and caressed it lovingly. It was a letter written by his mother, to her daughter-in-law...all those years ago. He held it out to her, indicating to Khushi to take it and when she did, he continued "Khushi, on your birthday today, I want to gift you something which I should have given to you, long ago. This letter is the closest thing to my heart and it belongs to you truly...it is your right to read, to have and hold forever...if you wish... It is a letter for you Khushi, from my Maa." After saying everything that he had to say, he finally broke down, silent tears forming silvery tracks down his face. A huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He had given her the last precious thing that was possibly his only link to his mother. He saw her trembling form move towards an empty bench and sit down quietly.

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Khushi sat quietly at one corner of the bench. Her mind had gone numb after hearing whatever Arnav had said. She had been dreading this emotional outburst, since they had left home. However, right now, the sight of a completely broken Arnav Singh Raizada, was killing her. How could she see the man she loved with all her heart, in this state? No! She did not want to see him grovel and plead. That was not him...not Arnavji, the man she loved. She had loved him despite his anger, his ego and arrogance.

Her mind was replaying everything that he had said right now. He had brought her to meet his mother... the woman who had given him birth, who was the first to have loved him unconditionally...his mother, who was closest to his heart. Standing here, on this soil, that was so sacred to him, he had declared his love for her. But had she ever doubted it in the first place? Never. The truth was that, somehow, coming to this garden was bringing a sense of peace to her soul. She had never felt so close to Arnav. It was as if, he had laid down the last barrier that had protected his heart and surrendered it to her completely. She had kept these kangans safely in his cupboard, not wanting to take anything from Arnav Singh Raizada. However today, as she held them in her hands, she felt a keen sense of ownership over them. She kept them in her lap and with trembling hands, finally managed to open the creased letter, that Arnav's Maa...her mother-in-law had written to her... her chotte's bahu, many years ago.

The first thing she noticed was that it was written in a beautiful handwriting, unlike Arnav's. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, as she thought of the time, when they had exchanged letters through the children who came to Shantivan for tuitions. She brought her attention back to the letter and started reading it...
To my Chotte's wife,
Actually, I will be giving you these kangans myself, but I have to share with you a tiny secret, and that is the reason, I am writing this letter. Please pay attention and be aware...a lot of anger resides on the tip of my Chotte's nose, but his heart... his heart is only filled with love...lots of it. A mother's earnest request... please bear with his anger. And as for love... return his love with all your heart.

Khushi kept staring at the letter, even after she had finished reading it. The words kept resonating in her ears, as if Arnav's mother had actually spoken to her. She had described him so perfectly in these few lines. This was Arnav! Not the Arnav Singh Raizada that he pretended to be, but the Arnav who loved his family dearly...his Maa's chotte. He was the Arnav who would go to any lengths, to keep harm away from his loved ones. This was the Arnav who used anger to hide his true feelings, when all he felt was love... hadn't he behaved the same way with Khushi? She recollected all the times that he had fought with her... but there had been some other moments too... those beautiful memories of the times when he had taken care of her. The times he had comforted her, supported her and helped her. Hadn't he shown that he did love her, that he did care?

Arnav's worried face flashed across Khushi's eyes, the time when she had gone to get ghee from Gupta House with NK. He had been so angry...so worried...so scared. He had shouted at her for being irresponsible, but she had seen the concern in those eyes, the fear...fear of losing her. How many times had he left those heartfelt words incomplete...? "Faraq padta hai dammit, kyonki..." His love had shone through his anger, time and again. Deep down, her heart had always known that the anger was just a mask to hide his love.

As Khushi read and re-read the letter, she realized that her thoughts were just like his mother, who had known the real Arnav and who had loved him unconditionally. Hadn't she herself, loved him selflessly? She had forgiven him for his anger and the hurt that he caused her and had loved him, loved his family as she did her own. Tears escaped freely from her eyes now, obscuring her vision, but for the first time, she seemed to see clearly. She had understood that there was no way that she could leave Arnav...and still live. She loved him with all her heart and he had always owned it. Likewise, she too had owned his heart and now, there was no going back...for either of them. They were two halves of one whole, who would only be complete with each other...

The realization of this truth lifted a big burden from her heart. She felt light-hearted after months, and she broke down again...this time, however, they were tears of relief. She clutched the letter to her chest, as sobs wracked her entire body. Arnav was there in an instant. She felt him kneeling down on the ground before her, panicking and trying to ask her the reason. She wanted to respond, she wanted to tell him what she felt... but all she could do was weep. All the pent-up emotions breaking through as never before... cleansing her of pain, the residues of the past. She felt him holding her hands and now, she did not pull back. There was no reason to run away from him anymore... run away from them anymore.

After a few moments of crying, as her sobs subsided, she looked at him through blurry eyes. She could see that he had been crying too. At that moment, her heart twisted in her chest, to see the man she loved, cry like this. And without another thought, she flung herself into his arms, shocking him as he tried to balance himself on the ground. She felt his arms come around her and engulf her in his warm embrace. It was a moment of pure joy...of having finally reached home. This is where she belonged and there was nowhere else on earth that she would rather be. They clung together, holding on to each other for support, finding the comfort that only the other could give, not wanting to let go of the other, for even an instant.

It seemed like an eternity before they broke apart. However, she did not let go of him. She clutched onto his shirt tightly, fearing the loss of even that bit of contact with him. Both of them knelt down on the ground, as their hearts soared to the heavens. He wiped away her tears before wiping his own. It was time for Khushi to speak. She realized, he was waiting for her to say something. She had to tell him what she felt and so she said, "Arnavji... umm... Thank you, for giving me the best birthday gift of my life. This letter and these kangans are truly my most priced possessions. But above all of these, is your heart, which belongs to me." She saw him nod in agreement, as he seemed overwhelmed by her admission. She let go of his shirt and cupped his face in her hands, as if explaining something important to a small child.

"I love you, Arnavji. I love you with all that I have to give. I have always loved you. But I was scared to trust you again. I will be lying, if I say that I am not scared anymore. I will need some time to be able to trust you again, to believe in our relationship again. However, I want to give you that chance, I want to give us that chance Arnavji, kyonki hum bhi aapse bahut pyaar karte hain. And someone had said something to me a few months ago... Jab jo bura kaha, uska koi matlab nahi hai. Jab jo bura kiya, uska koi matlab nahi hai. Iss pyaar main sahi aur galat ka koi matlab nahi hai. Bas ek cheez ka matlab hai, ki main hamesha... hamesha tumse..." and before she could complete her sentence, Arnav had completed it for her, "Hamesha tumse pyaar karta rahunga" saying that, he pulled her in a tight hug.

Arnav and Khushi finally were able to let go of their painful past, because love was much stronger than hatred. Love was something that had found them amidst extreme anger...so unexpected and so precious. And love was all that they had to give each other. They had been deeply connected to each other, since a long time. And now, there was no way that one could be torn away, without damaging both. Today, in the truest sense, they had married each other. The gap between them was finally bridged, with both coming together, finding a common ground, their love. Khushi held out Maa's kangans to him, and he took them carefully from her hand. One at a time, he carefully slipped them onto her hands and then placed a tender kiss on top of them. She smiled through her tears and could not help blushing at this small gesture.

He rose to his feet, holding her and helping her up to stand along with him. As they walked out of the garden, she looked around one last time and noticed something. "Arnavji, the roses that you gave me in the morning... were they...?" Her question was quickly answered by a smiling Arnav, "Yes, they were from this garden, Khushi." She smiled at that, as she looked into his eyes, which shone with love and happiness. She did not even remember the last time she had seen him so happy. All the traces of tiredness disappeared rapidly. Her heart swelled with love for this man, who had come such a very long way, to be able to love her to such an extent. The sun set over the city as they made their way, away from the garden, away from a place that would always remain special and sacred for them. A new day was on its way, which would bring in a new ray of hope and happiness to fill their hearts with its warmth.

"Arnavji, where are we going now?" She could not control her curiosity after remaining quiet for about fifteen minutes. He looked over at her and smiled saying, "Khushi, aren't you hungry? It's past your dinner time?" And just as he said that, her stomach grumbled. Both of them burst out laughing, for the first time in days... their laughter free, without dark clouds encircling it. As Khushi looked out of the window, she wondered where he was taking her for dinner. She really hoped it was some place where she could eat lots of jalebis. She was craving for some sweets after all those emotional hours that they had spent in the garden. And how she loved this Arnav, who parked his SUV, just outside some dhaba!

Khushi felt alive after months... carefree, lively and hungry. She chatted non-stop with Arnav, stopping only to gobble up the delicious food. She knew the reason that Arnav just kept staring at her, and she blushed under his heated gaze. It reminded her of those days, when he had teased her endlessly. Life seemed to be finally back on track and Khushi Kumari Gupta... Singh Raizada was a happy woman.

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To say that Arnav Singh Raizada was a happy man would be an understatement. There was no way, that he could hide his excitement and happiness. Khushi had given him that one chance that he had been seeking to redeem himself. The sheer relief at the thought, that Khushi would now never leave him and go, was just beginning to seep into him. She was here, with him, and would remain close to him forever. The knowledge that she loved him was overwhelming, and he had the rest of his life to show her how much he loved her. As they sat at the dhaba, he could see the child-like innocence back on his Khushi's face. It thrilled him to see her chat with him so happily. The way she relished her food, relieved him of a big burden. He just stared at her, taking in her happiness, and seeing her tension-free face. It warmed his heart to see her so alive again.

It was pretty late in the night, when they drove away from the dhaba. Arnav smiled thinking of how Khushi had munched on three plates of jalebis and still wasn't satisfied. He marveled at her appetite and felt like pulling her close to him and drinking in some of her sweetness. He controlled himself though, as he did not want to rush into things. She had miraculously just given him another chance and there was no way in the world that he would ruin it. He looked over at his watch... there was still an hour to midnight. As he drove around the almost empty streets of Delhi, he looked over at Khushi who gazed at him questioningly, "Where are we going, Arnavji? This is not our way home." He just smirked mysteriously and said, "Wait and watch, Khushi."

Arnav pulled over, in front of a huge bungalow. He saw Khushi gaping at how brilliantly the bungalow was decorated. There was a hustle and bustle around it, as huge halogen lights added to the brilliance. The generator vans parked around, made a loud noise, and were disturbing the silence of this beautiful night. He pulled at her hand, as he led her through the security. As they entered the bungalow, they could see that it was decorated for a wedding. Lots of people wearing colourful, heavy attire and loud jewellery, were strolling around. There were cameras and trolleys in place and bright lights spread their intense heat around the venue, making the atmosphere there quite suffocating. He looked at Khushi, who was taking in all her surroundings, as she slowly realized that they were at a movie set. She looked at him, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Before he could take her further, a group of people walked out. As the crowd parted a little, he just looked over at her face, because that is what he was more interested in...her reaction to this little surprise. He saw her expressions change from anxiety to shock...and then to pure joy. She clutched at his arm and jumped up and down in excitement. His heart filled with so much love for this woman. He heard her chanting over and over again, "Arnavji... Salmanji... Arnavji... Salmanji... Arnavji, it is Salmanji." He could not help but laugh at her crazy antics. What he reveled in, however, was that despite having her favourite 'Hero' in front of her, she still clung to him.

He looked over at Salman, who was dressed traditionally, like a groom, with a heavily ornamented pagdi on his head. At that instant, Salman looked over at him and waved. He silently signaled that he would meet Arnav, after the shot was over. Arnav again looked at his beautiful wife, who had her mouth hung open in shock. He chuckled and bent over to whisper in her ears, "Close your mouth Khushi. Don't tempt me." He pulled back and winked at her. She let go of his arm immediately and blushed. He felt a bit upset, that he had made her feel uncomfortable, but what could he do? His wife was too sexy for her own good and he had kept away from her, for a very long time, controlling his urges...but he so enjoyed teasing her...

When the shot was over, they were escorted to the green room. He felt the nervousness that Khushi was feeling, and so to calm her down, he held her hand tightly in his. "Arnavji, you should have told me that we were meeting Salmanji. I would have worn something better." she whispered. He cocked one eyebrow, surprised at Khushi, who generally did not care much about her looks. To him, she was perfect as she was...she was naturally beautiful. "Hey Arnav... how have you been? We are meeting after ages." Salman had come forward and hugged Arnav warmly.

Arnav introduced Khushi to him, "Salman, this is my wife, Khushi. I must tell you that she is a really big fan. It is her birthday today and so I wanted to bring her to meet you." Salman held out his hand and Khushi promptly gave hers. He smiled and kissed the back of her hand softly and said, "Happy Birthday, Khushi. You truly are very beautiful. Arnav is a very lucky man and if not for him, I would have tried to woo you." Arnav saw red. He could not stop this insane jealousy at seeing Salman kiss Khushi's hand. He knew that it was just a regular gesture... but it was Salman... dressed in a traditional groom's attire... Khushi's dream man. Everything about him was just perfect.

He was stunned, however, when Khushi clung to his arm and said, "Thank you Salmanji. But honestly, I am very lucky too. I am glad I met him, before I met you." Both Salman and Khushi laughed, but all Arnav could do was feel relief. He saw the love and affection shining in Khushi eyes. Happiness and excitement were written all over her face. As they bid the actor farewell and moved towards their car, he looked over to see a blissful Khushi. The only thought that was now on his mind was that, inspite of meeting Mr. Salman Khan, her favourite 'Hero', handsomely dressed in the traditional clothes of a groom... she had claimed him, Arnav Singh Raizada, as 'her rajkumar'. That was enough for him... and now, he would make sure to give a happy ending to her fairytale.

PART 12